What it Means to Be Slytherin
by Mahone-chic-89
Summary: Just a random dribble I wrote about what I think it means to be Slytherin. Not necessarily 100% accurate, just based on personal experience and opinions of my fellow Slytherin friends :) Enjoy!


I am a Slytherin.

Go ahead, freak out, overreact, most people do.

I mean, Slytherins are the bad guys, right? We're all these evil, corrupt, dark-magic-loving, narcissistic psychopaths who cannot be trusted. We're all out to get the rest of you. We are all death eaters in disguise. We are the ones you should fear.

I am here to set the record straight.

Slytherins are known for their cunning, ambition, and strong leadership qualities, but they are also known for being deceitful and manipulative as well as being rather prone to the –darker—aspects of magic.

The fact of the matter is: we aren't perfect, but we also aren't all evil.

We have a deep sense of self-preservation and believe that we must take care of ourselves first before we run around trying to save everyone else *cough* Gryffindors *cough*. That does not automatically make us selfish or narcissistic; it makes us intelligent. We understand that in order to help those around us we must first help ourselves. By doing so, we set ourselves up for success and place ourselves in positions where we can help others without causing us undue harm. Nothing wrong with taking care of number one, but you can rest assured Gryffindors will try to say otherwise.

Slytherins are resourceful and determined. Their ambition drives their every move. With these qualities, Slytherins can become the best leaders of the world, and also the world's most horrific villains.

We have a tendency to take over when in a group. Being the leader and being in control are things we crave. The issue arises when motivation comes into play. Many, actually I would argue most, Slytherins desire to be in charge in order to see that things get accomplished quickly and effectively. However, some Slytherins slide into the realm of being obsessed with power for power's sake—and that is what gives the rest of us a bad name. Those few really bad eggs ruined it for the rest of us.

Perhaps another issue the other houses find alarming is our tendency to find ourselves in situations of deep, unrequited love. Some Slytherins are incapable of feeling any form of love, and those are the ones you should worry about. The rest of us? We have this horrible ability to fall head over heels for those who cannot or will not love us back. This creates a deep sense of bitterness in our very souls. We give our all and when it is not returned, it awakens that darker part inside of us. Perhaps that is why the other houses see us as being so irritable and grumpy. A few betrayals and Slytherins close in on themselves and avoid people in an effort to prevent future pain. Keeping people at arm's length is a great way to avoid repeated past failures. This makes us appear cold and uncaring, when in fact the opposite is true: we care too much and therefore get hurt very easily.

Our relationships with the other houses tend to be rather divisive. Perhaps the house we get along with the most is the Hufflepuff house. Those sweet, beautiful, caring, loving Hufflepuffs melt our cold, calloused hearts. There is nothing quite like the friendship between a Slytherin and their Hufflepuff. Instead of doing what is best for themselves, like us Slytherins do, Hufflepuffs choose what is right for the sake of—well, what is right. They do not pick sides, but rather choose to fight for truth and honesty. They have a rather optimistic view on life and can sometimes come off as naïve or overly altruistic. Because of these qualities, they are able to view Slytherins as individuals rather than an entire house. They can see our good qualities and emphasize those, making us feel as if we matter and have a positive role in this world. It is for these reasons that Slytherins fall in love with Hufflepuffs so easily—and will do anything to protect them. Seriously. Touch our precious perfect Hufflepuffs and we will Avada Kedavra you into the next life—ahem, I digress…

Ravenclaws and Slytherins also tend to get along rather well. Ravenclaws tend to think logically and not emotionally, like us Slytherins do. Our tempers get the best of us, while our Ravenclaw friends help us stay grounded in logic. They have the ability to think before acting and research thoroughly before leaping to conclusions. Since Slytherins share the traits of intelligence and an appreciation for such, it is easy to see why Ravenclaws and Slytherins mesh well. There is a mutual respect between these two houses. While they may not be besties like Hufflepuffs and Slytherins, the mutual respect aspect keeps these houses at peace. They need one another to be successful: Slytherins need Ravenclaws to help keep them grounded in logical thought rather than emotional eruptions, and Ravenclaws need Slytherins to help push them to become more ambitious and to use their logic and intelligence for leadership and greater-good purposes.

Ugh. Now to the house that is the very bane of mine, and every other Slytherin's, existence—Gryffindor. Merlin the insufferable Gryffindors. Now, mind you, not every Gryffindor is so terrible, but as a whole this house drives Slytherins absolutely insane. I have found my Hufflepuff friends also find them rather tiresome, but their sweet souls are too kind to say anything—unlike us Slytherins. We have no problem reminding Gryffindor about how annoying and obnoxious they can be. They are known for being courageous and daring, but their bravery tends to be rather taxing on the rest of us. Gryffindors think they are here to save the world and they will remind you of this constantly. Their obsession with being heroes and constant need for attention grates on Slytherin nerves like nothing else can. They have a tendency to be rather arrogant and self-important, feeling as if they matter the most to Hogwarts and the Wizarding World. That is why us Slytherins go out of our way to make sure they know who the real bosses of this world are—us.

As I mentioned earlier, Slytherins have a tendency to be attracted to power. It is a natural inclination of ours because of our high levels of ambition and leadership skills. The problem here is that, some Slytherins, will do anything to achieve power, including turning to the dark side and hurting those they care about. Fortunately, those examples are few and far between compared to the Slytherin population as a whole. Unfortunately, since we are the house those lovely individuals come from, we are treated as if we are all the enemy.

Just because Slytherins have the propensity for diving into the darkness, does not mean that we all will.

It is a constant battle.

The temptation to give in to the darkness that is inside of us is a constant aspect of our lives. Those of us with strong moral fibers and a genuine care for others as well as the world we live in have an easier time of staying away from it. However, most of us will dance in the grey area for the majority of our lives. Sometimes rules need to be broken in order to further our agendas and life in general. We are unafraid to explore those options and dip our toes into the darker areas of life to see what we can accomplish. The world needs us because we do not shy away from such things but embrace them and accept them as part of life.

Are Slytherins dangerous? Yes.

Are we capable of falling into the dark ways? Yes.

But are well all evil, untrustworthy beings? No.

So maybe the next time you meet one of us, give us a chance. You never know. You may find that you actually rather enjoy our ways.

Heck even I can admit some _Gryffindors_ are alright—some.


End file.
